Hana no Kotoba
by M. Mondsichel
Summary: When one is at a lost for words, there are other means to convey what you just can't say. Levi Ackerman has never been fond of flowers, he has never been given a reason to, until now. [Rivetra]
1. Casablanca & Daffodils

**Notes:** I've been playing around this plot for a while now. It'll be my first multi-chapter story in a long time. I think there'll be around 7 chapters in total. I actually finished the last chapter already and haven't even started with the middle parts. And since I'm kind of lazy to update, I'll try to make each chapter a stand-alone.

**Disclaimer:** Shingeki no Kyojin is entirely made out of Isayama sensei's genius. If I did own it, I probably would revive Petra from the dead so that she and Levi can make lots of Ackerbabies.

**Hana no Kotoba**

**花の言葉**

**The Language of Flowers**

**Chapter 1: Casablanca &amp; Daffodils - Celebration &amp; Respect**

**Written by**: M. Mondsichel

**リヴァイ****x ****ペトラ**

Levi Ackerman glances at his wristwatch for the umpteenth time as he gently drums his fingers on the wooden table.

He let's out a sigh when he sees that it is just quarter to five.

The streets are empty except for a handful of joggers who'd pass by every once in a while. It's cold out on the sidewalk café so he holds his mug of coffee for warmth, somewhat grateful that at least there was one coffee shop open at such an ungodly hour.

"Stupid Farlan. Stupid Isabel."

He checks his cellphone for any new messages, silently cursing his friends for putting him in such a predicament in the first place. It was a Saturday and he had wanted to lounge in his apartment instead of waiting for the flower shop to open.

Taking a sip of coffee and savoring the bitter warmth it provided, he crosses his leg over the other, obviously bored. He looks inside the window to signal the barista that he'll be leaving soon, not forgetting to grab some loose change from his trench coat pocket before unceremoniously slamming it on the table.

"Why the fuck didn't they just ask the florist to deliver those shitty flowers to shitty glasses anyway?" He quietly questions the vacant seat in front of him.

Levi adjusts his scarf, always wanting to be the epitome of pristine perfection, before running a hand through his ebony hair in exasperation.

His coworker, Hanji Zoe, has recently given birth and his officemates, who were also his closest friends, decided to shower the new mother with presents. He'd been unlucky enough to be given the task of buying a congratulatory bouquet for her.

Nobody knew that he hated flowers though. He disliked them ever since his parents died in some freak accident when he was a kid. For him, flowers reeked of death. Maybe it was some kind of operational conditioning because every time he found himself surrounded by flowers, it's always been because of a family member's death.

He trudges grumpily on the pavement, still pretty pissed that he had to get up THIS early. He had wanted to buy flowers in the afternoon but Isabel reasoned out that he had to buy flowers in the morning when they were at their 'prettiest'.

He knew that florists opened early but just how early? That he didn't know.

Taking a peek at his watch and seeing that it's 5 am, he reckons that the flower shop, which Farlan had already made a reservation with, is already open. So he snatches the small map his friend had made for him from his pocket, eager to get this done and over with.

With a newly found determination, he briskly walks towards his destination and it doesn't take him long before he reaches it.

_Pixis' Flowers &amp; Blooms_

Levi cautiously takes a look at the glass door.

The sign read: Closed.

"Shit!" He couldn't contain the curse from coming out of his mouth.

He stands there unsure of what to do. Should he stay or should he just return an hour or two later? He's too lost in thought and too pissed to hear the soft 'Excuse me.' uttered from right behind him.

"Shitty Mike. Shitty Nanaba. Shitty Farlan. Shitty Isabel. Shitty glasses. Shitty Erwin for knocking up shitty glasses." He mutters it loud enough to hear.

"Fucking shi-" He abruptly stops when he hears a small giggle.

"Excuse me, Sir?" He turns around and cobalt eyes meet amber. He's surprised at first because he didn't feel her presence at all and because he's struck at how near the 'offending' person is to him.

The ginger haired girl took a couple of steps backward, an apologetic smile on her face.

"I'm sorry, You didn't seem to hear me the first time so I moved a little closer."

Levi doesn't say anything, instead, he inspects her from head to toe. She nervously plays with her thumbs, avoiding eye contact. She's just a couple of centimeters shorter than him, with her hair reaching just above her shoulders.

He concludes that she's an attractive person.

The girl clears her throat and warily looks him in the eye.

"Can you please move? I have to open the store." She holds her right hand up, showing him a set of silver keys.

"Sorry." He mumbles before stepping to the side.

She hurriedly unlocks the door, and as soon as she opens it a small bell chimes, she then stuffs the keys back inside her messenger bag.

The stoic young man waits patiently outside. He hears her drop her bag on the counter and is surprised when her head pops out in search of him.

"You can come in if you like. I'm sorry if the flowers are not organized yet, I still have to fix the displays. We usually open at around 5:30 but It'd be better for you to wait inside as opposed to staying out in the cold." She says all in one breath and before he can reply, she disappears, presumably resuming her duties.

Levi shrugs before stepping in the dinky shop. He's not sure where to position himself so he opts to lean against the checkout counter while silently watching the female scurry about. He observes that she's wearing a dark green apron now with a logo of two red roses on a silver patch. Her hair has also been tied in a ponytail.

"By the way, my name is Petra. What's yours?" She asks after successfully recovering a bucket full of roses out from the back of the shop.

"Levi." His response is clipped but she doesn't seem to mind. She quickly and efficiently arranges the array of blossoms in the shop.

"Alright Levi, I just need to put a few more flowers out and I'll be right with you. I really am sorry for not assisting you sooner but my boss would probably scold me if he sees the shop bare." She gently places the roses down near the display window and immediately heads out again to the back.

He doesn't know what prompted him to offer help, but he does anyway.

"If you want, I'll help you carry them out." His face is impassive and his tone cold, but somehow Petra hears the kindness in his voice.

She is about to protest but before she could voice out her thoughts, Levi follows her inside the cold storage room.

"Oh…" She trails off. "Umm… Please get that purple floral arrangement from right over there." She points to a spot a couple of steps away from him then grabs a bunch of sunflowers from her left.

He unconsciously scrunches up his nose, not liking the smell of the flowers one bit. He does what he is told and waits for Petra to go ahead so he can follow her lead.

Once everything was in place, she hands him a box of antibacterial wipes.

"Thanks for the help." She grins. "Here, use it to wipe off the dirt from your hands." She then takes her place at the register.

Levi checks his watch. It's 5:30 am now. He was cranky before but now he doesn't seem to mind his blunder.

"So Mr. Levi, How may I help you?" She gives him her best salesman smile.

It's the first time they've ever met but they both feel some kind of connection between them. Levi thinks she's cute and charming but refuses to let it show. Petra believes that the man in front of her is a good person though he seems completely rough around the edges.

"I'm here to pick up a bouquet, It's under the name Farlan Church." He says clearly.

"Ahh! I know that! Please wait a moment." Petra rushes to one of the freezers by the counter and delicately takes out a beautiful arrangement of casablancas and daffodils.

"I had a fun time arranging this, It's for someone who has just given birth right?" She lightly strokes one of the petals before handing it over to Levi.

"How did you know?" He inquires, slightly curious at the petite female's exceptional observation skills.

"You see, flowers have a language of their own and this means celebration while the other means new life." She excitedly exclaims.

He simply nods, not once taking his eyes off her peaceful expression. Petra seemed to like flowers a lot and he couldn't help but think that he might start to like them too.

As he is reaching for his wallet, which was nestled inside the back pocket of his pants, the amber-eyed woman shakes her head.

"This one is on me. And here… take this." She steps out from her place behind the counter, reaches for the bouquet in his hands and places a tiny teddy bear in the center.

"Thank you for the help Levi." She adds.

He opens his mouth to argue with her but whatever he was supposed to say gets caught up in his throat when she gives him a breathtaking smile.

"Congratulations to you and your wife." Her voice is soft and he barely hears it. For a moment he thinks he only imagined it.

He knits his eyebrows in confusion then begins to walk away. It is only until he reaches the door before what she said finally sinks in.

Levi turns to face her. "I'm not married. This is for a friend." He says nonchalantly.

"See you around, Petra." He pronounces her name sensually and smirks slightly before leaving the shop.

His smirk turns to a full-blown smile as he remembers her bright red face. It seems he'll acquire a liking for flowers soon enough.

**つづく**


	2. Bluebells

**Notes:** I actually typed this on my cellphone but was unable to upload and do any proof reading because I had been too busy (I'm part of a study program in Tokyo). I'm kind of shocked at the reception. I didn't think it would be well received, but thank you. I'll try to be consistent with the story and characterizations, hoping that I won't disappoint any of you. About the meaning of the flowers, I thought that I placed their significance in the story itself but for clarification, I will include it in the title as well.

**Disclaimer:** Shingeki no Kyojin is entirely made out of Isayama sensei's genius. I missed Petra's birthday &amp; Levi's birthday but well, better late than never.

**Hana no Kotoba**

**花の****言葉**

**The Language of Flowers**

**Chapter 2: Bluebells - Gratefulness**

**Written by**: M. Mondsichel

**リヴァイ****x ****ペトラ**

Hearing maniacal laughter coming from the other side of the door, Levi idly wonders why he bothered coming to this certain establishment instead of heading straight home.

There was a minor breech in security earlier that week and, being one of the best foreign service officers in his division, he had to do a lot of investigative work. Dealing with incompetent people had been part of it, and he considered it more tiring than having to sit around, doing paperwork all day.

It takes several minutes before he finally enters, but as soon as he does, he cannot help but glare at his colleagues. It's easy to spot them amidst the number of patrons frequenting the small bar they are in. They all looked out of place in their suits and it didn't help that the men in his quirky little group were quite tall. Not to mention that the women were being really loud.

"Aniki!" Isabel Magnolia waves merrily from the left end of the pub. Her face already tinged red from drinking too much. Try as he might, Levi could not help but cringe internally as he makes his way through the rows of tables and chairs.

The rest of his officemates turn their eyes on him and it only adds to his discomfort.

"Tch. So annoying." He clicks his tongue in agitation.

His best friend, Farlan Church, meets him halfway with 2 bottles of beer on hand.

"We didn't think you would make it but we're glad you did." The blonde man hands over the aforementioned drink with a tiny grin.

Levi takes the offered beverage and loosens his necktie; the place is a little too humid for his liking.

He scans the area, noting the layout. The place is acceptable enough, with the dim lighting and tavern like interior. The only issue he had with it was the mild stench of booze mingled with sweat, he hypothesizes that it is probably due to the surprising number of people inside.

"Where is Mike and Nanaba?" He says soon after.

Farlan places an arm around the shorter man's shoulders in an attempt to guide him towards their spot. Levi, on the other hand, is itching to remove the offending appendage but decides to down his beer instead. Getting intoxicated is the only solution he can think of to survive Friday night with this specific group of deviants.

"They had to leave early. Something about meeting Nanaba's parents early tomorrow morning." The blonde man smiles sheepishly.

Hanji approaches them, Erwin, her husband and their superior, in tow.

"Shorty!" She says loudly and Levi frowns at this. He hates the stupid nickname as much as he hates the one calling him that.

The four-eyed diplomat goes on and on about things from work he didn't give a shit about so he drowns out her voice. His coworker's incessant ramblings only grated on his nerves and years of working with her had taught him to just let her be.

He ignores her and turns his attention to his superior. The man gives him a nod of acknowledgement and he returns it with one of his own.

Rather than going to the booth where Isabel and their new intern Eren are happily chatting about, he takes a seat right across the bar and orders a glass of whiskey.

Going out with them once a month isn't exactly protocol but all of them had agreed to do it in order to strengthen their bonds. They were also holding a small, private congratulatory party for Hanji and Erwin's newborn son.

He rests his chin on his left hand and swirls his drink with the other.

Hanji is bothering Eren now and everybody is absolutely fine with that, save for the intern who's forced to agree to everything the science maniac has to say. Isabel is laughing hysterically at the sight of the flustered intern while Farlan and Erwin claim the vacant stools next to him.

Erwin is a quiet person much like the young corporal, so both are content in their silence. Farlan, on the other hand, is much more sociable and had been eager to strike up a conversation.

"I'm beat!" Farlan exclaims after asking for another bottle. "This week had been pretty intense, huh?"

"Mmm." Erwin mumbles in agreement while Levi just takes a swig of his drink. He agrees that the week had been shitty as hell but didn't find the need to voice that tidbit of information out. He's been meaning to ask how long they've been drinking before he arrived but keeps the question to himself as always.

Due to his best friend's lack of reaction, Farlan turns his body and faces the entrance. The blonde, handsome man is starting to feel a bit inebriated so instead of opting to continue their conversation, he settles on people watching.

"Are you done with the paperwork I asked for?" Erwin asks coolly.

Levi scoffs at this, as if he was asked something so incredibly stupid, but gives a proper response anyway.

"Wouldn't be in this fucked up place right now if I wasn't." Erwin nods in satisfaction, pretty pleased and content with the retort. Their commander would probably have said something else, but whatever it was, it had been cut short when his wife pounced on his back.

"Hanji!" He is about to scold her but stops because he knows it's futile. His wife never listened to his preaching anyway.

The ebony haired man tries his best not to roll his eyes. He doesn't really understand how the couple beside him managed to get together in the first place. Hanji with her less than appealing antics and Erwin with his unfazed behavior, but it is none of his business so he doesn't give it much thought.

Levi raises his hand in an attempt to signal the bartender for another round but stops when he hears a high pitched squeal coming from Isabel.

"PETRA!"

Even Farlan turned his attention to the object of Isabel's affections. "Shoo Cute." He hears his best friend say and for some reason this irks him.

"Shut up you drunk bastard."

Farlan brushes it off, already too used to his best friend's foul language to take it seriously. "My type." He continues, not bothering to form complete sentences.

Levi glares at his best bud before trying to steal a glance at the familiar head of ginger he's been secretly keeping an eye on for the past couple of weeks.

Ever since their fateful encounter, he's gone out of his way to pass by her quaint, little shop. He never goes inside since he's aware at how much he sucks at casual conversations, so he satisfies himself by watching her from the window even for just a few seconds.

Petra walks over to where Isabel is and gives her a big hug. Levi blinks the sight from his eyes, surprised to see Hanji approach the florist as well. All were obviously well acquainted with one another.

He adjusts himself from his seat and raises a brow when he sees her outfit. She's donning a tight little black dress that accentuates her figure perfectly. It only makes his urge to approach her stronger. He wants to greet her, talk to her, even at the risk of saying something stupid, but being the antisocial little shit that he is, he doesn't do anything but stay at his cozy little spot by the bar.

He's fully aware of how socially awkward he can be, so he continues what he's been doing ever since. He simply looks at her from afar.

Petra is now being introduced to Eren and Levi can't help but feel disgusted at the small blush that appeared on the young man's face when he shook the ginger haired girl's hand.

"ERWIN! FARLAN! SHORTY! GET YOUR ASSES OVER HEAR!" The four-eyed dork shrieked, making his ears ring even if he was a couple of meters away from them. Even Farlan winced at the unpleasant sound.

Normally he would've paid no heed to the command but Erwin had elbowed him to come and follow.

Upon reaching their destination, the strawberry haired girl with pigtails animatedly introduces Petra Ral to the rest of his division. Farlan smiles and shakes the newcomer's hand, while Erwin acknowledges her with a polite hello. Levi isn't sure if he should greet her casually or not, he's not sure if she remembers him.

He found his salvation when Petra's eyes flickers with recognition the moment she sees him.

"Oh! Hey there stranger! Nice to see you again." She says warmly. He grunts and, not knowing what else to do, ends up bowing. It is a formal and stiff reaction but it was the only response he could manage.

"You two know each other?" Isabel grins teasingly.

Petra tilts her head but doesn't remove her gaze from the corporal. "Yes, I met him a couple of weeks ago. He came to get a bouquet." She reminisces fondly.

"Hn." Levi's lack of reaction only piqued Hanji and Isabel's interest.

"How have you been?" The ginger haired girl asks timidly.

Levi pauses for a moment, trying to think of something nice to say. But his comrades all took his silence as a sign of rudeness and quickly tries to interject on his behalf.

"Don't mind him, he can't help if there's an icicle shoved up his a-!"

"Hanji!"

Farlan takes this as an opening to reprimand his friend. "Be sociable, Levi." This only irks him further so he decides to keep his mouth shut. His friends are already being loud enough as it is.

"Sorry. I should apologize for Aniki. He doesn't like to talk much." Isabel tries to console her friend. "Have a drink instead." She adds.

"No. It's okay. He was like that the first time we met so I really don't mind. He seems cold but I think he's really nice." Petra takes the bottle of beer that has been offered to her and blushes prettily.

Her unlikely response manages to shut everyone up. Levi, on the other hand, is trying his best to ignore the compliment by securing the nearest glass of alcohol and gulping it down hungrily.

"Are you sure you're talking about THIS shorty? Or are you talking about somebody else?" Hanji asks in disbelief.

"Ah…" She trails.

Noticing her discomfort, Levi finally says something.

"For fuck's sake." His statement is as monotone as ever but Erwin and Farlan know otherwise.

"Hanji, it's getting late. We better head home, we can't leave Leon with the nanny for too long." Erwin holds his wife's arm in an attempt to escort her out.

"Right!" She chirps, forgetting the awkward turn of events already. The new mom hugs Petra and Isabel goodbye before turning on her heel. Erwin says a curt farewell before leaving as well.

"Annoying." Levi whispers to himself but Petra hears it anyway.

"I better get going too." Eren bids them goodbye and walks clumsily towards the exit.

Petra watches the young man go, Unsure whether to assist him until he successfully gets a cab. The sentiment is lost however, when Isabel tries to drag the remaining woman to the powder room with her.

Farlan eyes Levi, trying to figure out whatever it is that his best friend is thinking about.

"You sort of like her huh?" He asks tactlessly and if Levi wasn't a man of composure, he would've spat his drink out due to such a straightforward question.

"You don't have to admit it. But ever since we sent you off to buy those flowers, you've been leaving the office earlier than usual. Maybe thirty minutes isn't such a big deal but I've known you long enough to notice." Farlan says it all in one breath.

Of course Levi doesn't say a word and just raises a quizzical brow.

"For the record, I find her attractive." His best friend continues.

The short corporal holds back an irritated sigh. From the corner of his eyes, he sees Petra and Isabel emerge out of the water closet.

'Thank God.' He thinks. He doesn't want to deal with Farlan's probing, insinuating questions, especially since the guy seemed a bit drunk.

But his small victory was short lived when he witnesses a man grab Petra's shoulder, obviously trying to hit on her with a type of aggressiveness he did not like.

"Let go of me." Petra glares and says through gritted teeth. Isabel watches with thinly veiled amusement, not even bothering to help her friend out which Levi found odd.

Farlan stands up, the commotion instantaneously earning his full attention.

"Come baby, let's get out of this joint and have a good time." The drunken man inches his face close to hers, reeking strongly of alcohol.

"Let go of me now!" The ginger haired girl exclaims and tries to loosen his grasp on her shoulder.

Levi acts swiftly and pins the man to the ground. He had been so quick that nobody really saw what happened. Petra stares at him dumbfounded but grateful at the same time.

"Party is over. Let's go home." He says to the rest of his crew plus Petra.

Farlan nods in agreement as Isabel drags Petra out of the bar, as if nothing had ever happened. The blonde guy knew that it would be better for them not to make a scene. They worked for the government after all and a scandal would tarnish their image.

Levi thinks that his head is about to ache as he watches his friends leave but he quickly follows suit, leaving the drunk man at the mercy of the bouncers. He's not the slightest bit apologetic for almost breaking the idiot's arm.

**リヴァイ****x ****ペトラ**

Monday came in a blink of an eye and Levi finds himself in his office, going through tons of paperwork yet again, which he deemed a pain to finish. He hated Monday mornings with a vengeance.

Isabel knocks and after a gruff 'enter', the young officer opens the door, a bunch of blue flowers in hand.

"What the hell is that?" Levi Ackerman cringes his nose. He still finds the faint smell irritating.

The young girl laughs. "Bluebells. Check the note Aniki." She places the bunch of flowers on top of the paper trail on his desk and hands him a small card.

_Thank you for the help the other day._

_Sincerely,_

_Petra Ral_

Levi blinks in surprise. He has never received flowers from anyone before and looks to Isabel for an explanation.

"What the fuck?"

"You saved her from the perv, remember?" Isabel laughs teasingly. "Although, if you want my opinion, Petra's strong enough to handle herself."

Levi inspects the bluebells in front of him. He muses that they're not as offensive as he originally thought. Isabel takes this as a cue to continue speaking.

"She could've beat that man's ass to a pulp if she wanted to, you know? That girl is a master of muay thai, wing chun and judo BUT since you decided to help her out, she asked me to bring you this."

Levi only nods at Isabel's statement. It explained why the strawberry haired girl seemed bored during Friday night's disgusting encounter.

"Here." The young woman shoves a piece of paper towards him. A cell phone number had been carelessly scrawled on it. "I thought you might want to give her a call or something." She says before hurriedly leaving him to his thoughts.

Levi doesn't have a specific type, he doesn't even bother with women (and men) in general. But, if he had to pick one, Petra would definitely be it.

He pockets her number and makes a mental note to call her later.

**つづく**


End file.
